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Island Air has obtained long-awaited certification of its new ATR 72 aircraft.
"It’s across the finish line and it’s done," Island Air spokesman Michael Rodyniuk said Monday of the approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Rodyniuk said the 64-seat ATR, which was certified Sunday, likely will be put in service Wednesday or Thursday. He said it initially will be used for Honolulu-Kahului service that had been stopped in mid-December. Rodyniuk said Lanai and Kauai also will be serviced by the aircraft.
"The certification is the whole future," Rodyniuk said. "The ATR aircraft is a state-of-the-art airplane. It sips fuel compared to other aircraft in the market. It’s incredibly efficient. It’s green from both an environmental perspective and an operating effective."
Island Air had the plane delivered in September but wasn’t able to use it prior to certification. The company has been relying on two 37-seat Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8s that are being phased out of the fleet.
The airlines said last month it is being sold to an undisclosed buyer.
"Whether there’s a transaction accomplished, this had to be achieved to move the airline forward," Rodyniuk said. "The aircraft we were using were aging and, at the same time, were very expensive to operate."
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